Written Answers Wednesday 4 July 2007

Scottish Executive

Defence

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many recruitment visits there have been to hospitals by the British armed forces in each year since 1999, broken down by hospital.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, what NHS Scotland’s annual costs have been since 1999 to cover for staff on special leave with pay who were performing civic and public duties with the Territorial Army or reserves.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many NHS staff are currently on special leave with pay and serving with the Territorial Army or reserves and how many staff were on such leave on the same date in the previous eight years.

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-792 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 June 2007, how many NHS staff currently on special leave with pay and serving with the Territorial Army or reserves have been away from work for (a) one to three weeks, (b) one to three months, (c) six to nine months and (d) a year of more in each year since 2001.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding will be allocated for the provision of independent advice and support services by NHS boards in partnership with local citizens advice bureaux, broken down by board.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has made it clear to NHS boards that it expects them to provide this service for the benefit of patients. The funding of the local service is a matter for each NHS board and information on it is not held centrally.

Pre-School Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children will benefit from the proposed extension in free nursery provision.

Adam Ingram: We estimate that at least 20,000 children will get additional funded hours of free Pre-School Education following the expansion in hours to 475 hours from August 2007. Making this a universal entitlement will also put local authority services which currently provide 475 hours of pre-school on a proper financial footing.

Pre-School Education

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow City Council will benefit from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Young People’s announcement on extending free nursery provision from 33 to 38 weeks.

Adam Ingram: Yes. Children in Glasgow who attend partner provider settings will receive 475 hours of free pre-school education from August 2007, an increase from the current level of 412.5 hours. Glasgow City Council will receive an additional £1.576 million in 2007-08 and £2.364 million in 2008-09 to cover the cost of funding the additional hours for all pre-school children. It will be for the Council to decide how the additional resources should be allocated.

Scottish Youth Parliament

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop its links with, and the role of, the Scottish Youth Parliament.

Adam Ingram: The Scottish Government values the role of the Scottish Youth Parliament in representing the views of young people in Scotland. We have already met some key members of the Scottish Youth Parliament and look forward to continuing to work with them and to hearing their views on issues of interest to young people.